wildtuinman wrote:I am however still surprised that some believe that there is only this one elephant left in the forest. Many articles I have read suggested that there were at least 5 individuals.

Have to say, I’m also a bit confused by the statements that there is only one elephant left…..I cannot remember when and where, but there was a program on scientists doing DNA tests on the dung they found in the forest. Through this they found out that there are more elephants left than what was initially thought….and as far as I can remember, during this they also discovered that there is a baby….

wildtuinman wrote:Secondly, now I can't recall the exact details, an article suggested that there were 5 or 6 individuals left in the Knysna forest and that one individual is estimated to be a young calf.

I remembered yesterday that I had read this in one of the Wild card magazines.

I have just finished reading Garreth Patterson's book "The Secret Elephants of Knysna". Great read! Could not put it down. I thought I would also just say after reading Builla's last post even if it was over a year ago that the central african forest elephants does not have anything to do with the knysna forest elephants. The knysna forest elephants are "recently" adapted forest elphants. Theyre close genetic relatives are actualy the addo elephants and funnily enough the handfull in knysna are more genetically diverse than the whole addo herd of 400 plus. The knysna elephants are then the southern most african bush elephants adapted to the forrests in order to escape the ever destructive humans. This does not mean that they are just normal elephants.

They are very special and in that handfull of elephants their is the closest link to the elephants that once roamed arround Cape town. Who knows and with the distances that elephants travel. Maybe "Strangefoots" great great great grandmother once stood feeding on the slopes of table mountan whith her familly when strange white sails appeared on the horizon. Things would never be the same again from that day.

It is nothing less than a mirracle that there are still elephants close to knysna. They have come so far. It is now our responsiballity to make sure this miracle continues. We may not be able to undo what our great grandfathers have done, but we can do our best to make sure the "matriach's" grand daughters live in peace with our grand children. I am sure some of the addo elephants could be moved to GRNP to help the knysna elepants population growth and secure their genes for the future.

We are guests in a beautifull country that have destroyed for far to long. It is time that we give back. The creation of the GRNP is a dream come true. May elephants roam there forever more. Everyone will be the richer for it.

Just watched a documentary Search for the Knysna Elephants, it was great to see the final clip where they filmed a bull Elephant for a brief couple of seconds. They also mentioned that through DNA analysis done on the dung samples collected that there is at least five female Elephants roaming the forest and fynbos in the vicinity!